Straight-knitting machine



(No Model.)

0. H. YOUNG.

. STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented May 19, 18-91.-

\A/ITgHESSES- d a/ZW V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. YOUNG, or ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

STRAIGHT-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,559, dated May 19,1891. Application filed May 23, 1890. Serial No. 352.831- (No model.)

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. YOUNG, of Rockford, in the county ofWinnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Straight -Knitting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of my invention to provide such improvements inknitting-machines as will facilitate the knitting of a very fine andelastic fabric by means of latch-needles, so called.

My invention consists of a shouldered nee- .dle constructed and arrangedto co-operate with a device for holding down the yarn against theshoulder, all as I will now proceed to describe andclaim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a detachedportion of a knittingmachine, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is adetached side view showing, partlyin section and in dotted lines, one ofthe knocking-over points, the spring for retaining the same in position,a needle in its supporting frame or comb, and its actuating-jack, theneedle being shown in its depressed position and the knocking-over pointslightly inclined forward as it normally stands. Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the needle in its elevatedposition and the knocking-over point as drawn up to vertical position.Fig. 4 shows a modified form of the needle employed in the invention.Fig. 5 is an illustrative diagram showing in a somewhat eX- aggerateddrawing the operation of the kn ocking-over points in conjunction withthe needles when the needles are raised. Fig. (i is a similarillustration, the opposite of that shown in Fig. 5, and showing therelations of the knocking over points, fabric, and needles when thelatter are depressed.

In one form of knitting mechanism in which the needle shown is employedit is mounted in a vertically-sliding bar or jack A, which is supportedin a partitioned frame or comb A and has a vertically-reciprocatingmovement imparted to it by jack-lever J, pivoted and supported on shaftJ, as clearly represented in Fig. 2. Said jack-lever may be actuated forthe purpose of imparting a reciprocating movement to the needle bymechanism such as is represented in another application filed by meApril 6, 1886, Serial No. 197,936,01' by another suitable mechanism,which constitutes no part of my present invention, and is therefore notshown, the foregoing reference being deemed sufficient to a clearuuderstan ding of my invention herein set forth.

To the jack A the needle B is secured, as shown. This needle containsthe usual features of alatch-needlenamel y, thehook h and the pivotedlatch Z-and also contains an addit ional featurenamely, an offset orshoulder 8 immediately back of-or below the latch. The term shoulder ishere employed in its ordinary sense, and is meant to indicate aprotuberance or projecting appendage upon the body, shank, or stem ofthe needle, and is formed, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and

6, by bending the stem of the needle at substantially right angles tothe portion upon which the latch is pivoted; or it may be constructed,as represented at s in Fig. 4viz., by forming a projecting appendage onthe straight shank or stem of the needle. This last-named feature is anessential element of my present invention and by which I am enabled toutilize the upward or forward movement of the needle with advantageousresults, as will be described.

I employ in combination with the needle a cast-01f or knocking-overpoint C, asuitable number of which in practice are secured at properintervals to a bar D, mounted upon a plate E, secured in a longitudinalslot in shaft F, which shaft (together with another of like constructionand supporting in like manner another set of points) has its endbearings in boxes G, which are properly mounted on the frame of themachine. Upon the end of shaft F, which extends through box G, Fig. 1,is placed a collar H, which is secured thereon by a set-screw, and tocollar H is secured one end of a spring I, the opposite end of whichrests upon shaft J, which supports the jack-levers J, Fig. 2.

The knocking-over points are formed with an oblique edge t, a notch u,and a round front corner o. The oblique edge serves to facilitate theguiding of the yarn into the hook of the needle, and the notch serves tosupport the edge of the fabric over the rounded corner o. The back orlower side to of the notch serves when the point moves forward to castoff or knock over the loop from the needle point or hook, and the upperside at of the notch serves to hold the thread or yarn against theupward movement of the needle, thus cooperating with the shoulder uponthe needle to produce desirable results, as will be explained. Thenormal position of the point C is slightly inclined forward toward orpast the hook of the needle, thereby keeping the yarn as it is guidedbetween the oblique top edge of the knocking-over point and the needleup to the needle and within range of its hook and latch asitmoves up anddown; but when the point C is strained upon by the yarn carried up bythe shoulders of the needle, as has been referred to, the point undersuch strain will yield backward slightly, being permitted so to do bythe elasticity of spring I, which controls the rotary movement of theshaft F in that direction.

The needles employed are moved upward in unison, but are drawn down oneafter another in succession; and when so drawn down to form a successionof new stitches, and after the last needle has been depressedfihe points0 are held in the position to which they were sprung back by the upwardmovement of the needles, as described, and illustrated in Fig. 5, by thedownward strain of the hooks of the needles upon the loops just drawninto the fabric, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and are so held until thesimultaneous upward movement of the needles takes place again, when asthey start upward and relieve the strain upon the fabric, andconsequently release the points, the reaction of spring I will thencause a lateral movement of the points, carrying them slightly forwardinto their inclined normal position, and thereby causing them at theproper time to cast oit or knock over the stitches upon the needles.

Latclrneedles as heretofore constructed and operated inknitting-machines perform all their work while moving in one directiononlythat is, while drawing upon the yarn with their hooks. The needleherein described performs all the work heretofore accomplished by thelatch-needle and in the same manner, and in addition thereto it, bymeans of the shoulder 3, acts upon the loop of yarn as the needle movesupward or forward, drawing upon the same while it rests in the notch ofthe point C, and thereby moves the point laterally against theresistance of its spring I, thereby avoiding undue strain upon the yarnand securing a uniform tension in setting the stitch-that is, as theneedles are successively depressed they accomplish what is commonlyknown as sinking the yarn by drawing it by means of their hooks 7Lbetween the points 0 and over that part thereof forming the lower sideof the notch 11, and as the needles rise the loops are divided bydrawing them upward by means of the shoulder on the needles, the yarnbetween the loops being held down by the part of the point C forming theupper side of the notch a. By these very simple means I am enabled toemploy very tender yarns and secure an absolutely-accurate division ofthe loops, producing a closely-knitted fabric of very elastic qualitysuch as has heretofore been mechanically produced only by means of muchmore complicated and expensive devices.

The operation of ordinary latch-needles and cast-offs inknitting-machines being old and well understood, a more detailedillustration and description of such knitting operations is not thoughtto be necessary to a clear understanding of my present invention, whichis confined to the devices shown and is substantially as hereindescribed.

I claim 1. The combination of a knitting-machine needle provided with ashoulder with a knocking-over point provided with a notch,,substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination of a knitting-machine needle provided with ashoulderwith a knock-.

ing-over point provided with a notch, and yielding means, as described,for supporting said knocking-over point, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the needle provided with an offset or shoulder, asdescribed, and means for actuating the needle with a knocking-over pointC, provided with a notch u,bar D, plate E, rock-shaft F, and spring I,constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

4. The c0mbination,with the needles, the shanks of which are providedwith outwardlyextending shoulders, of devices for holding down the yarnagainst the said shoulders to divide the loops as the said needles rise,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this (3th day of July, A. I).1880.

CHARLES II. Y OUNG.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. Cnossnnv, A. D. HARRISON.

